Device for removing ice from tracks.



No. 687,630. Pafented Nov. 26,l mol. c. s. JOHNSON.

DEVICE FOB BEMOVING ICE FROM TRACKS.

(Application mea Feb. 2, 1901.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

wi huesca@ No. 687,630. Patented Nov. 26, |901.

c.rs. JoHN'soN. DEVICE FUR REMVING ICE FROM TRACKS.

(Application led Feb. 2, 1901:)

(No Model.; 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S.,JOHNSON, OF BROWNVILLE, MAINE.

DEVICE FOR REM-OVING ICE FROM TRACKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,630, dated November 26, 1901.

Application led February 2, 1901. Serial No. 45,751. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern,.-

' Brownville, in the county of Piscataquis and State of Maine, have invented new and useful Improvements in Devices for Removing ,Ice from Tracks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for re'- moving ice from tracks; and the object in view is to provide a track -cleaner in the form of an attachment adapted to be applied to either a locomotive or danger-car in ad- Vance ofthe forward truck thereof, the said cleaner being propelled by the locomotive or car and embodying a series of .revolving outters which operate adjacent to and on both sides of the rails, the said cutters serving to break up and crush the ice or sleet and coinpact snow on opposite sides of the rails, so as to prepare the way for the ilanged wheelspof the trucks which follow the cleaning device. The anger, of an ordinary construction, follows the ice-cutting device of this invention and serves to clear away the ice from the inside of the ralls.

The detailed objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully in the course of the ensuing description.

The invention consists in certain novel features and details of construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the drawings, and pointed out in the claims. y

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a front elevation of a track-cleaning and ice-removing device constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical cen- 'double ratchet-wheels andthe double pawl cooperating therewith, taken on the line 5 5,

Fig. 1. Fig. [6 is a detail sectional view showing the relation between the pedestals 'and one of the hangers, taken on the line 6 6,

Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is adetail plan view of one of the cutting-blades. Fig. S is a detail section showing the manner of attaching one of the cutting-blades to the drum or cylinder, and Fig.` 9 is a detail perspective View of the double pawl.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all iigures of the drawings.

While the attachment'is adapted to be applied to either a locomotive or car, for the purposes of illustration I have shown the same applied to a car-platform 1 in advance of the truck-wheels 2 of the forward truck 3.

` The attachment comprises a frame 4, which extends transversely beneath the. car-platform land `is secured thereto by bolts 5 or in any convenient manner. The frame 4 comprises an upper frame-plate 6 and a lower frame-plate 7, said plates bein g spaced apart vertically to form a housing, within which are mounted a plurality of gears, by means of which the cutting devices hereinafter described may be raised and lowered.

The cutting device comprises a cutter-shaft 8, having reduced portions 9, which are journaled in bearings 10 in a series of verticallydisposed hangers 11,four of such hangers being shown, although a greater orless number may be employed without departing from the spirit of this invention. Each of the hangers is provided with an upwardly-extending threaded shank or stern 12, which passes through openings in the upper and lower frame-plates 6 and 7. Associated with each of the threaded Shanks 12 is a spur gear-wheel 13,the said gearwheels being arranged in intermeshing pairs, as lillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. The inner wheels 13 of each pair are provided with smaller gear wheels or pinions 14, which are fixedly connected to the wheels 13, and said pinions 14 intermesh with and are actuated by a master spur-wheel l5, which is mounted fast on the lower end of an adjusting revoluble shaft 16, journaled in bearings in the upper and lower frame-plates Gand 7 and .eX- tending through the car-platform, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The shaft '16 extends above the car-platform and is'pro'vided with a suitable operatingllian'dle`17', by means 'of -which it may be turned in either direction. The

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ratchet-wheel 18, having ratchet members of different diameters, the smaller ratchet-'wheel being arranged uppermost, so as to leave anA annular ledge 19, upon which rests-one of the arms 20 of a double pawl or detent, the other arm 21 of the pawl being arranged to lie against the platform 1 and being located in the plane of the teeth of the lower and larger ratchet member. Thepawl ispivotallymounted on a pin or bolt 22, arranged about centrally thereof. The teeth of the two ratchet members are disposed in reverse directions, as illustrated in Fig. 5, so that the shaft 16 may be prevented from rotating in one direction or the other, as may be necessary.

, The gears 13 are each provided with a centrally-threaded opening 23 for the reception of one of the threaded shanks 12, and it will therefore be seen that when the gear-wheels 13 are revolved the hangers 11 will be moved upward or downward, according to the direction of rotation of said wheels; It will further be seen that the wheels 13 are of equal diameter, and therefore all of the hangers will be moved up or down an equal distance, thus uniformly raising or lowering the cuttershaft 8.

The frame 4 is further provided with depending pedestals 24, which are arranged about over the rails 25. These pedestals are provided with vertical slots or wings 26, in which the hangers 11 are adapted to slide up and down, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. By reference to said figure it will be noted that the bearing-opening 27 for the cutter-shaft opens out at one side of the hanger and that the shaft 8 bears against one of the walls of the slot 26. By means of this construction the cutter-shaft may be removed from its bearings by depressing or lowering the hangers 1l until the bearing-openings 27 extend below the bottoms of the pedestals, whereupon the cutter-shaft may be moved horizontally out of engagement with the several hangers and detached from the machine. The cutter-shaft 8 is also provided with stoclcollars 28, which bear against the pedestals and prevent longitudinal movementof the cutter-shaft.

Mounted upon the cutter-shaft 8 are two sets of cutting drums or cylinders, each set comprising an inner drum member 29 and an outer drum member 30. These drums are of the same diameter; but by preference the inner drum is made' of greater width than the outer drum, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Each drum is in the form of a cylinder and is made either slotted or of skeleton form and hasattached to its periphery a series of cuttingblades 31, each of which is curved from its outer toward its inner end, the curve being somewhat sharper or more abrupt as it approaches the rail. Each cutting-blade comprises a base 32, having openings to receive screws or bolts 33, adapted to enter threaded openings 34 in the surface of the drum and are preferably beveled, as shown at 35, on the inside of the curve.

VBy arranging the blades in the manner specified and curving them in the way indicated they produce a shearing cut and at the same time tend to drag or force the ice, dro., away from the rails, thus preparing the way for the danger which follows.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that by turning the operating-handle 17 all ofthe hangers 11 may be simultaneously elevatedfor depressed, thereby correspondingly raising or lowering the cutting-cylinders. cutting edgesl of the blades should be several inchesbelow'the tops of theheads of the rails, thereby serving to cut and crush downward the ice adhering thereto and lying contiguous to eachside thereof.

I do not desire to be limited to the details of construction hereinbefore set forth, but reserve the right to change, modify, or vary the same within the scope of this invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a cutter-shaft, and ice-cutters mounted thereon adjacent to the rails, of a series of hangers in which the cutter-shaft is journaled, threaded shanks in said hangers, internally-threaded gear-wheels coperating with said shanks, a master gear-wheel and connections for simultaneously driving all of the gear-wheels, a hand-operating shaft for actuating the master gear-wheel, and means for preventing said shaft from rotating.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a cutter-shaft, and cutters thereon operating adjacent to the rails, of a series of hangers in which the cutter-shaft is journaled, threaded shanks extending upwardl y from said hangers,internally-threaded gear-wheels engaging said Shanks, a hand-operating shaft geared to said gear-wheels for operating the same simultaneously, a double ratchet mounted fast on said shaft and oomprising ratchet members of diiferent sizes and with reverselydisposed teeth, and a cen trally-pivoted double pawl having ratchet-en` gaging portions lying respectively in the planes of the two ratchet members.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a cutter-shaft, and means for raising and lowering the same, of a pair' of cutting-drums mounted thereon and ar ranged at opposite sides of the plane of the rail, each drum having secured to its peripherya series of curved cutting-blades beveled on the inside of the curve, each cutting-blade having its inner portion or that portion which lies adjacent to the rail described on a sharper or more abrupt curve.

4. In a device of the class described, the

When the machine is in operation, the

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687,630 Y l i 3 combination with a cutter-shaft, and cutters I In testimony whereof I ax my signature mounted thereon, of verticallyadjustable in presence of two Witnesses.

hangers having laterally-open bearingsy in which the cutter-shaft is journaled, and slot- CHARLES S' JOHNSON tedpedestals in which said hangers are slid- Witnesses:

iugly received and which serve to retain the L. S. MONROE,

cutter-shaft in its bearings. W. H. MONROE. 

